USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The sod house, or “soddy, ” was one of the most common dwellings in the frontier west. The long, tough grasses of the plains had tight, intricate root systems, and the earth in which they were contained could be cut into flexible, yet strong, bricks.

Detailed explanation-2: -Why did the pioneers often make their houses out of sod bricks? Since the Prairie did not have many trees, wood was hard to find. So, the pioneers made houses out of sod bricks.

Detailed explanation-3: -On the Great Plains, sod houses, called “soddies, ” were the most common abodes. (There were some wealthier settlers who brought pre-cut timber cabin kits with them offered through the Sears & Roebuck catalog, but these types of homes were more rare on the early prairie.)

Detailed explanation-4: -Most farmers cut sod from the area where they planned to build their house. Doing so provided a flat surface on which to build and helped protect the house from prairie fires. Removing the grass from the area also helped keep insects, snakes, and vermin from burrowing into the house.